Sanctuary Part 2
by sweetmari
Summary: This is part 2 of the story Sanctuary, written by Magda Jan Brown. This story continues where Magda stopped. Numair and Daine has finally reached Trebond with Alanna, George and Tamalt. Things starts to get difficult for all parties.
1. Chapter 1

Dear Readers. This here is part 2 of the story Sanctuary, written by Magda Jan Brown. Since it is a few years since she last updated, I hope that you will now enjoy the continuation of the story. Obviously I can not take credit, since everything belongs to TP and the idea for the story belongs to Magda ... but I would hope that it's okay that I give my idea of what happens. So enjoy... :-)

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Escape**

Daine lay in bed for a few minutes, staring at the door, where both Numair and Tamalt had disappeared. Tears were still in her, and her cheeks were wet with salt tears. The panic began to spread, she saw how the walls began their drive towards her, to shut her in. She had to get out ... she had to flee ... she had to get away ... away from Tamalt ... away from Numair, just away ...  
With a set she rose up in bed and let the blanket fall, so her naked body came into view. Daine jumped down on the floor and ran over to the only window in the room. She swung it open and climbed up. The cold hard wind beat against her and her long curly hair fluttered behind her.  
She turned and glanced at the closed door ... there was no turning back. She was embarrassed, her heart was torn and she had managed to cut the thread of which was between them. Nothing could be normal again. Nothing. She threw herself out and let the abyss search her body ... in a split second she wondered if she should fail to transform herself, but with a jerk in her body, large broad wings scattered and the eagle was caught by the wind.

* * *

Numair ran down the stairs from Tamalt's room. He had to flee ... sight, the shock of finding her in the other man's bed, tore at his heart. He would welcome death if he knew that it was coming ... he reached the room where Alanna and George was standing over a map. He saw how frightened Alanna looked at him, and he knew what his face shown. Guilt, hatred ... fear ... anger ... sadness. She opened her mouth, but closed it again when Numair shook his head. He did not have time to explain, behind him he heard steps from his former friend, coming towards him. He needed air ... he needed to get away.

"I have found Tamalt ... You may do with him ... I need air" he said as he backed out of the door. He saw how George raised a quizzical eyebrow. Numair shook his head ... he seriously needed air and a place of abreaction. He turned and bumped into Tamalt who stood behind him. He pushed him with such force that Tamalt flew into the wall. In a second he was past the second black robe mage.

"Numair ... stop ... let me explain ... everything ..." cried Tamalt after him. This whole trip to Trebond had been interesting, entertaining and now it has turned into something unpleasant. He turned to George and Alanna, who both seemed to have dropped both nose and mouth.

Numair ran as fast as he could. Thoughts ... pictures of Daine with Tamalt between her legs. He closed his eyes for a fleeting second, and was about to fall over his own feet. Never had his heart been so hollow, so empty, so ... no words to describe the emptiness he felt.

With fast hands, he saddled Spot, and swung himself into the saddle. He heard faint how the hits of hooves on stone echoed in the yard, while he put the horse in the wild gallop. The black cloak fluttered behind him, and Numair felt the biting cold turn against him.

Further on, up in the air above him, flew a great eagle. It headed straight toward the river.

* * *

She reached her goal. With claws first she landed on the big rock, the balance was hard to find, but a moment later a naked woman now sat on the cold stone. Daine shuddered ... she jumped down and went with hasty steps down towards the river. She felt again the pain in her chest, and how sobs broke out through her lips. She turned her head toward the sky and screamed her pain and frustration out. The scream was the only relief she felt.

The wind around her bite into her skin and sent shivers all the way to the backbone. Her brown curly long hair was the only thing that protected her against the wind.  
For her, everything was unimportant. Her life was ruined... because ... she was alone again ... Daine barely noticed, how the blood in her began to boil and how her wild magic stirred, as it had done in Snowdal. In front of her eyes the river vanished and she was now in front of the burning house ... memory struck her, and she felt the heat from the flames that had warmed the fabric of her clothes and how it began to kindle.

She started screaming hysterically. No ... not again ... no .. Daine stood frozen to the spot, unable to move. The scenario in front of her showed her how the fire devoured everything it came near of. She tried to go against it, frantically to reach them, but were forced back by the heat ... another scream escaped her while the wild magic in her now reached boiling state and beat wildly against the glass with the strange runes in ... it required freedom, it required space, it required ... she collapsed on the cold stone while the river still flowed past, before her eyes it still burned... her nose caught the smell of burning flesh ... a sign that the residents of the house had not reached out in time. Deep within her the first copper wires unleashed ...

* * *

Numair drove Spot into a hard gallop, speed was rushed and steam stood around the horse beneath him. Spot snorted, why was his rider in such a hurry? Spot did not hear it, but felt it in every vein, every cell. The horse stopped abruptly. So suddenly that Numair almost flew over the mane, he managed to hold on.

"What ... Spot ... what are you doing?" he shouted.

The horse shook under him, he had pushed it too hard. Then he heard it ... a scream broke the silence of the forest. He turned in the saddle, in which direction it was coming from?  
He looked behind him, the leaves on the trees were beginning to be reddish-brown due to the coming cold. Numair turned and looked at the path in front of him. Who ... then he heard it again. A scream ... a heart-rending scream.

Never had he heard such a scream before ... it came from the right. Numair tore the reins and pushed Spot out at a gallop again. They flew through the woods together. Branches whipped against Numair's head no matter how much he ducked. Hoofs left deep tracks and soil was torn up from the gound. In front of him he saw the road was blocked ... yet another scream, this time closer. Numair raised his hand and black fire speckled with silver shot from him and burned the dense bush to coal.  
Spot snorted, as if to let the rider know that it hated when he used his magic.

Horse and rider set off in a leap over the glowing remnants of the bush. Numair brought Stop to a sudden stop ... Spot's hooves struck against the hard stone. It snorted again and shook it's head. Numair swung from the saddle, he could no longer ride when it was stone they had landed on. He landed hard and pulled the cloak closer around him. Here in the open, with the river that flowed silently, struck the wind harder. There was no ... he had heard wrong? Had he been wrong? He began to walk along the river, in the direction the water flowed ... after what felt like several kilometers he heard it again.  
Scream ... hysterical, tearful ... it came from upstream. He turned and looked back to where he had left Spot. The horse had intentions to follow him, but Numair stopped it by keeping one hand on the muzzle.  
"No Spot ... this I have to do alone," he said.

Numair began walking. The riverbank twisted to the left. When he got past it he stopped abruptly. The sight caused him to lose breath. Before him knelt a naked woman on the rocks ... her hands were stretched out towards the river ... no, not the river ... to something only she could see. He heard how sobs escaped her lips, how her shoulders bent beneath the brown curly long hair and felt the despair that flowed from her. A moment later he also saw how copper wires whipped around her as loose rope, trying to beat all to pieces. Before him, not fare from him he saw his student. His Daine ... he heard her voice again ... this time not a scream, more a desperate plea to let her mother live ... Numair sat in motion. Everything that had happened the last hour was forgotten. She needed comfort, safety, protection ... suddenly he knew what she saw in her mind's eye ... the fire murdering her family leaving her all alone...and now she was alone again. He had broken his promise to her. The promise to protect her.

Numair took the final step towards her. She had not heard him. He held one hand out and laid gently on her shoulder. She flinched under his fingers.

"Daine ... it's me" whispered Numair gently. He felt how cold her skin was. He saw how she quickly got to her feet and stood rank, turning she meet his eyes. A wild look was in her eyes. Numair looked shocked at her.

"Let me be ..." the words were almost indistinct. Daine pulled away from him, away from his warm hand.

In that split second he had touched her, he had managed to examine the spell, he long ago had placed between her inner self and her magical me. It was still intact, but not for long, more pain and her wild magic would escape and she would no longer be the human girl, Daine.

"No ... I will not ... Daine, you'll have to listen to me. I am here for you ... please, "Numair was breathing heavily. There was almost no time to waste. Her pain was well on the way to break the spell, so hurt was she ... not physically, but mentally.

"No, you're not ... I'm just a little girl in your eyes" Daine spat the words at him and met his gaze completely.

Oh no ... she had overheard the conversation between him and George yesterday? Numair took a deep breath, he had hurt her deeply and by that droven her into another man's arms.

"Daine ... let me explain" Numair took a step toward her.

Daine backed away from him. "I think you explained yourself clearly yesterday ... my magic has captivated you ... it's the only interest you have in me ... I am...I am...your magical entertainment?" She hissed.

The words hit him hard ... his heart beat some extra beats, and it took a few seconds before Numair answered. "No ... Daine ... you are more than that ... I wish ... wanted only to protect you ... "He sighed deeply.

"Protect me?" She shouted now ... "Protect me from ... from you? ... From Tamalt?"

Numair felt anger rising in him. He hated that name ... "You ... you slept with him!" he yelled at her.

He was losing his temper. Daine had her ways to provoke him ... both good and bad, and this was one of the bad.

"So what if I did ..." she hissed again. "You do not want to touch me ... you will only have mature women ... women who are older than I am ... they have more ... I can not catch up with them ... I do not have big bouncy tits them " she yelled while her hands searched up at her belly and now she held her own breasts in her hollow hands.

Numair could not help let his eyes follow her hands. The small swollen breasts that revealed the darkness of her nipples. They had danced around each other with accusations and attempts at explanations ... he could not stand it anymore. It was enough. He came fast approaching towards and drove her back.

"You ... you ..." He was furious at her words. She had hurt him deeply with the accusation that he would not have her. It was almost too much for Numair. He had spent a lot of time to hold back, to stay away from her, not to exceed the visible boundary between them. And now ... she stood before him, naked, provocative, sad and furious. Never had she looked so adorable, attractive and passionate ... Never had he desired her as much as now.  
He had to get a response from her ... had she been in bed with Tamalt or not! He could not bear if it was true. "Did you or did you not ... sleep with him? ... Yes or no?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 13 - Sanity**

Daine stepped back and stood with her back pressed up against a tree. She had forgotten that she had been crying. In front of her stood the man she secretly knew would her the best ... but she was angry. Angry at the way Numair had treated her ... angry at the way he had ignored her and angry ... that he accused her of ... of ... what was it .. . a form of adultery? Never had it occurred to her that she by seeking out Tamalt,that she would be on the verge of losing Numair completely ... she felt that she was furious. He should lose her ... he should feel how it had felt for her while standing in the doorway of his room and looked how long white legs had been around his hips ... had seen the woman's fingers against his bare back ... had felt the enormous humiliation which followed ...

She heard him say the words again ...

"Did you or did you not?"

Her whole body was shaking ... she did not want to meet his eyes. The rough bark against her back cut like knives in the cold skin ... she could no longer concentrate ... it was all too much. Daine closed her eyes and tried to breathe slowly. He had pulled her out of the trance, out of memory of a burning house ... but not quite ... something was wrong ... the wild ... her magic ... What was wrong with her?

"Answer me!" Numair voice was deeper and she felt his breath on her cheek.

She felt the movement from him when he placed the large hands on either side of her head ... against the tree. What had she done ... and why ... why had he fled from her yesterday. "I ..." She chose her words carefully, afraid of what he would do to her.

"I ... what ... Daine ... were you together or not?" Numair's voice sounded this time closer to her ear. She could feel the heat radiation from him.

"I ... we ... nothing ... I fell asleep" ... Now she said it. The truth. She had been so upset that she had not been able to carry out what she had in mind when she had visited Tamalt.

Daine felt more than heard how Numair had stopped breathing. It took several minutes, with only the sound of the river could be heard along with the wind in the trees. Only now she felt how cold she was ... how she trembled. Daine took a deep breath and opened her eyes, she looked directly into the hazel that belonged to her teacher, her confidential ... anger shone from them, but little by little it was transformed into compassion, care, concern ... ... and what was there more glowed from them ... lust?

She was breathing again ... afraid to say anything, afraid to move ... afraid of ... what?

Finally, he spoke again, "Nothing ... nothing happened?"

Daine's eyes looked down toward his lips and saw how reluctant he noted, accepted that nothing had happened.

"Nothing ..." Daine whispered, while she again noticed how tears began to roll down her cheeks again. Now she froze seriously. How long she had been out in the cold weather, total nude, she did not know ...'  
"Nothing ... nothing ... nothing"

She heard how Numair repeated the words, almost tasted them, almost felt their value for him on his tongue. He sighed ... he relaxed in front of her ...

"Oh ... magelet ... how did we end here?" He asked quietly.

Daine met his eyes again and breathed heavily ... "I do not know Numair ... I ... it ... we ... us" She had a hard time finding the words to compose a sentence ... she was freezing. She heard how her teeth began to clatter.

"You're cold ... sorry ... I..."

She noticed how Nuamair began to pull away from her ... the cold wind beat against her stomach. He had stood over her sheltering her from the cold wind.

"Numair ... please ... don't move ... I'm freezing" Daine reached out and took hold of his cloak. She pulled hard, to get the heat and the shelter back. "I have a strange feeling Numair ... like ... like it was with the wild bear ... like it's back". A burning sensation reached her og struck her with such a force that she screamed in agony She felt the panic spread and gasped for breath ... she was losing herself, the wild magic was unleashed. She had let it loose. With a wild look she threw herself at him, snarling, biting, striking ... she was not Daine ... she was ... wild ...

* * *

Numair's brain was working at full speed ... she had not been with Tamalt, she would never lie to him with something that important. He took a deep breath, to accept the reality. There was still a possibility that she could ... be his. He pulled back and heard absent how she talked nonsense in front of him ... incoherence. He lowered his eyes ... what was it she had just said ... that the wild bear was back. Bear ... where had he heard it before? Rather, when?

Suddenly the silence was broken by a scream. Numair did not have time to think before he found himself under attack. Daine had attacked him ... the shock was quickly replaced by well-rehearsed responses. He ducked the long claws his pupil had transformed her fingers into.

"Daine ... stop it ... Daine, No! It's me ... it's Numair ... "he cried to her. In front of him circled a very naked young woman. Her eyes were no longer gray, but black...

He saw how she made a pass for another attack. Numair gather his hands in front of him and gave a bit of his magic to them ... when Daine set of against him, he pushed against the invisible air, not much, just a little. He hit as he had planned. Daine was pushed out of balance, falling backward, but managed to turn around like a cat in the air and took off with her hands. In that posture Numair was over her withon seconds. Pressing her down. He pushed her down with all his weight and held her hands firmly over her head. Forcing the lang claws away from him.

"No Daine ... stop it ... you're not ... you're the girl who saved me in hawk figure ..." She resisted, and gave Numair sweat on the brow. "Remember ... you talked with griffins, you healed the dragon mother and got Kitten ... stop fighting ...". He pushed her further down against the harsh cold stone. "Stop fighting ... I'm not them, it's several years ago ... stop fighting!"

Numair noticed how Daine began to gather her strength as she lay under him. No ... he thought ... he squeezed his hands hard around her wrists and took a deep breath, a moment after he was inside her thoughts. He noticed how she tried to turn under him, but with his big muscular chest pressure forward against her back, she could not do so much. He heard how she screamed her frustrations out ... there ... that it was ... in normal circumstances he would not push himself into the mind of another person, but this was necessary. Numair saw the broken glass wall in front of him, how copper wires twisted uncontrolled within her ... he sighed ... his student had not recently been meditating or held spring cleaning, that was why she had been sickly tired under the new healing of the animals. He should have seen it when he had been there from the sideline and followed her process in the new method.

Numair forced his magic into her while he repeated the same words he had used several years ago. The day when she finally had told about her family's unhappy fate and how she had chased those responsible with the wolves. Little by little he noticed how she began to relax under him, and how the glass wall melted together and the ancient written runes were intact. He still had a hard work ahead of him, to recreate the essence of Daine. Her laugh, her way of dealing with a bow, how the arrow always hits the target ... her pony, Cloud, who had followed her through the worst ... her new life at court, her friends, Onua, Miri, Evin, all of them ... their experiences together, the first trip to his tower, how pirates had attacked them, her first transformation. At each memorial Numair recreated in her, he noticed how the fight from Daine calmed down and was replaced by small sounds ... crying. It took a lot of effort for Numair, but it was all worth it ... he showed her how she had looked when she held Kitten for the first time, he let her feel his shock and pain when he had seen her collapse on the beach ... he let her feel his affection when he had given her the earrings on their first midwinter together.

He went on with the memories ... he let her see how many times he had seen her with pride in the chest and how her mood had brought smile on his lips again and again. He let her experience the horror he had experienced when she was captured by Orzone in Carthark and what joy her reaction had given him when she had discovered that he had not been executed. He put the memories of her first healing ... how the otter had come back and had left a gift for her. How she had slept in his tent ... how furious he was when he could not reach her in Dunlath. Numair work slowly through all the memories, recreated everything they had together of experiences, both positive and unhappy ... the very last memory he gave her was the picture of herself who slept in his arms, how her head had fallen backwards with the slightly open mouth and how he had caressed her belly lovingly. The tenderness he had felt and the desire he had hidden from her ... Numair breathed slowly and pulled out of Daine's mind. Afraid of how she would react ... he hadn't keept the promise he had given her the night they had talked together at the fence. He lay perfectly still and held her close. He had, during the work in her mind pulled her to him, wrapped her in his cloak, holding her close to his body, given her warmth and her sanity back.

"Shhh ... it's okay ... it's okay ... magelet ..." he comforted her while he held her close to him. Numair breathed ... her scent filled his nose. In his arms was the woman he loved ... no matter how young she was.

* * *

You are welcome to provide reviews ... they are always good to get :-) they make me want to write more... especially with so many stories that are up in my mind at the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 14 - Concessions**

Daine lay with her eyes closed. She noticed how the man behind her was breathing in long, deep breaths. Tears still flowed quietly down her cheeks. She had lost herself ... she had been close to losing herself, she corrected. If Numair had not shown up, she did not know where she had ended... maybe somewhere around as a wild bear, perhaps drowned in the river that still flowed past them, not far from them. She grabbed his cloak and brought the material up against her cheeks. The soft fabric was a welcoming feeling and the smell of it ... she never got tired of it ... the smell of old dusty books, mixed with the smell of different wood oils, ink and ... cinnamon. The last was always one of his characteristics ...

With dry cheeks she turned in his arms ... she heard that Numair still murmured words of comfort. It was nice ... nice to be in safety, nice that he had found her ... Daine thoughts stopped ... how did he actually found her? She had jumped out of Tamalt's window, just to be rid of having to come face to face with him ... and her plan had failed. Inside her anger stirred ... and something else ... something strange, something sensitive ... as if she had seen directly into his innermost when he recreated the wall around her magical self. As if he had deliberately let her see ... in a heartbeat those memories hit her. His smile, pride, his grief, his rage, his devotion to her ... and finally ... a memory of her sleeping body against his, her lips slightly apart and his hands on her stomach ... caressing. He loved her ...

Daine let her nose search down to the v-neckline at his neck ... where the hairs from his chest was sticking out. The movement got her lips to meet his naked skin ...

"Hey ... stop it Daine ... you know I hate it" exclaimed Numair.

"No ... I will not ... not until you tell how you found me?" Daine whispered. She had gotten the conversation going ... easier than she had expected. They had a way to converse natural, even under the most extreme conditions.

She heard him sigh ... and noticed how he moved a little.

"You've got to get up ... I feel like I have a rock sitting deep in my back ... and we have to go ... we can not stay here forever" Numair sounded insistent.

He was right, she thought. Daine hated the next she was going to do, she had just got the heat and she had regained control of herself ... but there was still a lot of unresolved between them. Things they had to talk about ...

She noticed how he opened his arms around her, and how the cloak slipped off her naked body ... Daine shuddered ... she would get the worst cold ever ...  
She got up on all fours ... "Please do not look ... I'm naked."

"I've seen you naked before Daine ..." Numair replied.

When she threw a sharp eye on him, he closed his eyes. She smiled ... yes, he had ... maybe more times than she knew, she thought. "Yeah ... well .. I would like to retain a little of my dignity ..." She told him.

She got up and regained balance, and looked around as if it were the first time she was here. "Okay ... I'm up now ..." She stopped mid-sentence, because her teacher was now standing in front of her already with the cloak in his hands.

She met the hazelnut brown eyes. "Hey ... eyes ... Numair ... still naked ..."

She saw how Numair let the cloak fall to the ground and how he turned around, scarlet in his head. Daine bent down and picked up the cloak, she hurried to wrap it around her. Blushing she tied the cords at the throat ... and looked down. She sighed ... she felt warm again, but it did not covered her as much as she had hoped. Daine saw how Numair raised his hand, and the next moment came a loud whistling. Somewhere nearby she heard a horse whinny.

"It's Spot ... how did you find me, Numair?" She asked again.

Numair turned and gave her one of his impish smile. Daine saw how the horse came into view. It had difficulty controlling the hooves on the slippery rocks.

"I heard you ... your screams ..." he replied calmly.

"You heard me ... from where?" Daine pulled the cloak closer around her ... and shuddered.

"The forest...Come here ..." Numair commanded and opened his arms. "You are freezing ..."

"Ha ... do not to tell me something I already know" Daine replied, but obeyed. She went close to him and let herself embrace. She was a perfect fit for his body, her head fitted nicely underneath his chin. This is nice, she thought ...

"Hey ... don't disappear into dreamland, magelet ... we have a walk ahead of us back to Trebond" Numair's strict voice and the vibrations from it could be heard all the way down into his chest.

"Sorry ..." Daine replied, a bit embarrassed. How did he always knew what she thought?

Spot had come to them, and Numair freed himself from her.

The cold wind hit her again, and she felt lonely. Uhh ... I'll get the meanest cold, well at least Alanna are waiting in Trebond Daine thought as she watched how Numair straightened the saddle and stirrups so they matched her. Trebond ... she had completely forgotten him ... Tamalt ... what should she do? She was interrupted in her thinking.

"Are you listening, Daine?" Numair had turned to her again and held a hand out to her.

"What?"

"Are you ready ... I'll walk, while you ride Spot ... we can not be two on him" Numair explained .

Daine looked down on the outstretched hand ... His hazel skin was damaged. A red mark, with a few obvious wounds, revealed where teeth had been sitting. She took hold of it and let her one finger follow the lines. "You are wounded Numair ..."

"It's nothing ..." He whispered.

Daine raised her eyes against his face ... she had hurt him, not mentally, but physically. She continued ... "Was that me? ... I'm sorry Numair." Daine felt how tears pressed on.

"Magelet ... it's okay ... I've seen worse, I've been exposed to worse ..." He explained as he pulled his hand away and put it against her cheek instead. He smiled at her.

Daine felt her heart beat an extra beat and nodded.

Numair took his hand and placed it on her waist. In a jiffy she was lifted up and sat in the saddle on the spot.

"Let's go home ... or rather, let's get to Trebond".

Numair set in motion. He went directly against the incipient forest where the bushes marked the transition.

"What are you doing Numair, we can not go that way!" She said, as she from Spot's back was evaluating the thick shrubbery.

"I'm going to do the same as I did when I had to reach you ... burn it" he explained, as he raised his hand. The black fire with silver began to gather into a ball.

Here we have a man who wants to get back ... Daine thought . He forgets just one thing...

"Wait Numair ..." She let a small tiny drop of her magic float from her, terrified that too much would do more harm than good.

He waited. The ball remained in front of his hand. A moment later two sparrows flew up, and searched the sky.

Spot snorted under her ... and it got Daine to smile and relax ... she knew the gelding hated when its owner practiced magic near it.

* * *

How they came over the remains of the burning bush, Daine could not remember. She sat deep in her own thoughts and there were almost too many of them ... the two black robe mages who both wanted her attention, her wild magic ... once again it had proved intractable. She was aware of her own weaknesses, and it made her feel embarrassed ... especially now that Numair walked right by her side, just as quiet as she was. Daine pulled the cloak closer around her ... what a mess she had made. She was not even 16, and now she felt the pressure of interested men, first Filipen, then Tamalt, and now Numair ... how many had she had to go through? Daine stopped her mind ... she was not a careless woman, like those Numair was with ... she would not be like them, never.

"You sighed ... what's wrong?" Numair asked gently.

Daine jumped. She had sighed loudly ... "Nothing ..." she replied quietly.

Numair stopped, he looked up at her. "Look at me".

Daine hesitated ... but ended up meeting his eyes. His long hair was tousled after the fight with her, but he looked like he used to. She could go on looking at him always.

"Magelet ... what's wrong?" He asked again, as he put one hand over hers who held the reins.

"Everything ... all of it, Numair ... I do not know ... if I can handle it." Daine felt empty.

"It depends on what 'everything' is? You have done brilliantly for the time being, magelet ... more than what I expected of you ... "

She looked into his eyes, into the quiet depths they possessed ... next to her was not only her teacher but also her friend ... she suddenly felt how she could tell him almost anything. "I'm confused ... I'm embarrassed, I'm ... not myself, Numair" She replied sincerely. She waited, but he did not interrupt her.  
"I ... it's all too much ... what happened with Filipen, my necklace, then Tamalt ... you ... I can not do it ..." Her shoulders slumped and she moved her gaze .

The silence hit ... but only for a moment, then she heard Numair's voice.

"Daine ... no one will expect you to do it all at once. You're a little girl ... no, let me finish ... "Numair held his hand up to stop her.

Daine was about to protest strongly .. but was silent.

"Where did I come from ... you're a girl" He corrected himself before he continued, "who has quickly turned into a beautiful young woman ... and yes, I noticed it ... and yes, you know my feelings for you ... "Numair turned his front against her and put his hand on her chin and looked directly into her eyes. "But magelet ... the important thing here is, that you do not have to hurry ... there's plenty of time ... time to choose, time to learn what life is like ... what you choose is entirely up to you ... and only you! No one should push you into situations you're not ready for ... neither Tamalt, Filipan or me, for that matter. "

"But I kissed him, Numair!" She exclaimed. Daine winced. It had not been her opinion to reveal this detail.

"I know ... Magelet ... I've also kissed ... it does not stop the earth from turning around."

Daine raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"That I'll explain later ..." Numair continued "You are young, you have many things to be tested by ... and no, I do not talk about sex ... I'm talking about that you have options to choose .. . to make your considerations, to make mistakes ... I have also made my share of mistakes "He explained.

Daine looked down against the dark hand that lay against mane ... "Was the woman in your study a mistake?" She asked ... damn, when did she learned to keep her mouth shut?

She saw how Numair was silent for a moment. She looked searchingly at him, the crooked nose, the soft lips, the long black hair that was assembled with a string. She met his eyes again ... honesty light from them.

"The woman ... yes, she was a mistake ... one that I do not intend to repeat again ..." He hesitated " Magelet... will you promise me one thing?" He asked.

Daine nodded silently ... afraid of what was coming now.

Numair continued. "Will you promise me ... that you will wait ... waiting for the right ... that you will wait to give your self to...until you are sure" His eyes flickered.

Daine had pity on him ... She nodded quietly and reached down, she put her hand against his cheek. The touch of his warm skin against her fingers, sent fire through her body.

"I promise ..."

* * *

Hope you enjoy the story and the conversation between Daine and Numair ... who can not help being a little in love with him ... be sweet to give reviews :-) I will try to proceed as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 15 - Return**

Daine and Numair reached Alanna's childhood home. They had both been silent the rest of the way, each lost in their own thoughts.

Daine was the first to breake the silence ... a question had long been in her thoughts, and she wanted to get it answered, sooner then later.  
She reached down and laid her hand softly against Numair's shoulder. "Numair ...?"

He turned and smiled up at her. "Yes, Magelet?"

"There's something I want to ask ..." She hesitated a bit.

"And? It is ... "Numair looked inquiringly at her, waiting for her to speak.

"What ... what is going to happen now? I mean.. between us ... "She could feel herself blushing and hoped that the cold wind against her cheeks, could conceal her embarrassment.

"Well ... it's up to you, magelet. I am a patient man ... "he replied quietly. He took hold of the reins of Spot and led him in through the gates to the inner courtyard. "We'll have to wait and see ..."

"But ... I'm still your student?" She asked nervously. She felt how Numair stopped Spot. They had reached into the middle of the courtyard. He looked up at her ... first with a serious expression in his eyes, which then became smiled back at him.

"Of course ... you can not get rid of me so easily ... I am and always remain your humble servant" he replied as he made a deep elegant bow to her.

"You flirting" she warned, but she already felt better.

"Well ... when you are in the company of a young beautiful woman ... then there is reason to do so" Numair explained and Daine could see how his eyes flashed.

"Haha Numair ... save your flirting for later ... right now I want to get down, and my legs have gotten frostbite and has gone to sleep" Daine complained, she liked how Numair had returned to his normal role as a charmer and gentleman. She had one leg slide in front of her and over the saddle while Numair stood in front of her. She noticed how strong hands were laid against her waist. Daine smiled as she put her own hands against Numair's shoulders and she let him lift her down from the saddle. She hung a few seconds in the air above him, and was surprised at the strength he possessed. Then she was gently lowered to the ground.

* * *

Alanna, George and Tamalt was deep in discussion about how to secure the border between Scanran and Tortall. They had spent most of the morning to find alternative ways to avoid the oncoming havoc that George's spy had described to them. After many suggestions they had come back to the one possibility Numair had proposed, to make the same magical boundary that Tristan Staghorn had made in Dunleth. Thinking about Numair ... where in all mother's goddess name had he gone?  
Alanna had not seen Numair after he had brought Tamalt, and it was not successful for her, despite repeated attempts to get an explanation from Tamalt. This man had only said few words; misunderstandings, explanation and accidents. She had, after three attempts allowed the subject be, as she clearly felt that Tamalt was not going to tell what had happened.

"How about we ...I'll creep up on them, and ..." Alanna tried, she did have problems continuing, since her proposals were similar to the others, unmistakable.

"Lass ... stop thinking more about it...we'll find a solution soon enough" It came it from George, as he placed a hand against Alanna's lower back. "I can hear Numair's voice, along with our little lass".

Alanna smiled. She leaned against the warm body that belonged to her husband ... they had reached the end of the corridor that led out to the courtyard. Here Tamalt opened the large oak door, and the first winter winds struck them. Soon the first snow of winter would be arriving. He gave a slightly tricky bow to Alanna, and let her go first. "Ladies first ..." he said smiling.

"Stop it Tamalt ... I'm no lady and we are not at court" She Replied, while she in passing patted him on the cheek. "Leave it there for some other fine lady, who actually do care". She teased him, and it seemed to lighten his mood a bit.

Alanna came out the door and stopped abruptly. So abruptly that her husband bumped into her back, and Tamalt avoided barely do the same at George.

The sight before her was a bit weird ... Daine draped in a cloak, Numair's cloak, she noticed, with bare feet, legs, thighs and loose hair was lifted down by the black robe mage. He sat her down on the ground while their eyes were locked together, as only a typical loving couple could. Where have they been...and how had Daine come in the company of Numair? She had been told by the stabelboy that he had saddled Spot and left Trebond at a furious pace, alone.

* * *

"Really Alanna ... it's not that cold at all...it could be worse" Tamalt laughed while he followed George out and saw how the spymaster was bumping into his wife when she stopped abruptly. He took a step to the side so as not to topple George and frowned ... what had caught her attention to such an extent and what did she stared at? Tamalt moved his eyes towards the middle of the courtyard. The sight that met him did not please him ... naked thighs came into view, in the furious wind when it grabed hold of the cloak around the slim body that belonged to the young woman he had been visited by his chamber, the previous night.

He turned and looked up. In the wall above him, where he knew his room would be, the window stood open. Then he turned to the scene before him again. He heard faintly when Alanna began to speak...

"Daine...please tell me that you of all, didn't go wander around the woods alone? And it that state...and by Great Mother Goddess, why in heaven sake are you naked?" The lioness sounded angry.

Tamalt took a closer look at Daine and saw that her magi had changed a bit. The young girl blushed when meeting his eyes, but looked away all to quickly. Had she finally chosen Numair?

As if Numair had heard Tamalt's thoughts, Numair lifted Daine up in his arms. In this movement, her young body was exposed for a brief moment before Alanna stepped forward and corrected the fabric to cover the girl again. The girl smiled up at Numair, who smiled back. Tamalt could clearly see that something special had been happend between them.

"Numair ... carry that girl of yours inside, will you?" Alanna ordered sharply. She turned and looked strictly at Tamalt, who took a few steps back and didn't want to hide the distrust his face showed.

"Tamalt ... will you please take Spot here? Take him to the stable and find Jacob, he will take good care of him," she asked as she looked after Numair who had started walking towards the door.

"Of course Alanna ..." He replied. Tamalt took Spot's reins and began to pull the horse toward the barn. Behind him he heard how Alanna began to curse.

"Leave them alone and then this happens...irresponsible...I'll hope she will not get a cold..."

Tamalt could not hide the smile that spread on his lips. From now on, things could only get more interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 16 **

Ohh yes – clearly the meanest cold ever. Daine was sneezing so hard that the birds she had called to her flew away from her in the middle of her explaining the situation about the border and the so-called nobles in Scanra who was supposed to be in a league with various immortals tribes.

She waited for them, the small sparrows to settle down on her shoulders or her hair for the fifth time and was beginning to wonder where she was when the sneeze interrupted her – oh yes – the immortals; she explained the task she wanted them to perform when she was interrupted by yet another sneeze.

The sparrows took flight as she continued to sneeze – not one time, not two times, but seven times.

Cursing she gathered her tings with the maps she had used to point out the locations of the fiefs that she wanted them to spy on – lifting them from the ground she sneezed again and cursed loudly under her breath. She was sure that if she did continue to sneeze such, she would soon found herself standing on the moon rather than standing in the cold, outside in the garden.

Four days had gone after Numair had brought her back from the little sudden trip she had taken from Tamalt's window and other then the heavy scolding she had received from Alanna – she had kept her to herself. Not wanting to be near Numair or even Tamalt, even though she had noticed the longing glances from the other black robed mage.

Every time he had entered a room she had gone the other way – leaving the room behind. It wasn't that she didn't have anything to say too him, but that she had too much. If she was to speak to him again she didn't knew what would possible come out of her mouth.

Her brain was in that much confusion and she needed time. It seemed that Numair had noticed her need and was giving her space. Space too ponder over the fact that two men was ready to be hers – the only thing she had to do was to choose and it was the one things she wasn't ready for.

Another sneeze and she dropped the maps too the ground.

"Alanna mentioned that you were still suffering from the cold you got" a pleasant voice told her and she almost tripped in her movement to retreat the maps before they got to dirty.

Straightening she looked up and found his friendly eyes, his hoping eyes she noticed and looked down into the ground where the soil was beginning to prepare itself for the winter that was on its way "Yes – it seems that I am to be punished for my little stunt" she said and balanced the maps in her arms.

She sighed as she accidentally dropped one, but it was caught by a huge hand.

"You have been avoiding me" he said softly as he took half of the bundle she held in her arms.

What could she possible say to that? A 'no' would be a lie and 'yes' would make her embarrassment even more worse then it was now – so she settled for something in between "Maybe" she mumbled and began to walk in the direction of Alanna's childhood home. Daine glanced at him and saw that his cheeks was slightly reddish; maybe because of a blush or maybe it was due to the cold hard wind that blew from the north.

He was holding himself back, she noticed when they reached the door. He was holding it open for her and as she moved inside he didn't seem to follow her. Looking up into his eyes her breath caught in her chest – the before mischievous and light-spirited man she knew from the trip to Trebond was gone and before her stood a man, a broken man.

Before she could think about what came out of her mouth she spoke in a uncertain voice "I'm sorry Tamalt, but I have a lot on my mind and it seems rude to be" she halted her words, not sure if the next words out of her mouth would be appropriate "flirting" she ended.

Her words seemed to caught him off guard and she could see that she had hurt him deeply, but she preferred that to the other option that he was obviously seeking.

"I see" was his only comment and she turned her back to him, but still could feel his presence or the warmth that radiated from him.

They walked in silence the short way into the room where the three others was standing over an equally larger map then the ones Daine had borrowed.

Numair was the first too look up and she almost stopped short in her tracks as his eyes flashed with something unexplainable, before they was guarded again. She didn't know what he had told Alanna when she was deeply asleep after the serious healing she had gotten, but from the way Alanna looked at both her and Tamalt, she concluded that it wasn't much.

At least Numair wasn't hurting as he had been before her flight to the river, Daine noticed as she lay half of the maps on a empty table, but she noticed the strained expression he held in his gaze as it lingered a moment to long on the mage from Maren.

She pushed herself away from both of them and settled herself near the fireplace where it was warm, sneezing several times she let in the conversation of the people near her, but didn't participate in it herself. If only it wasn't so hard and difficult to grow up, she thought as her eyes wandered from the two men – two men that both wanted her; one eager to be flirting with her and one holding back with such effort that she almost had made a huge mistake in offering herself to Tamalt. She still needed to take of the bond between her and Numair that had been almost broken.

Sitting beside the fire she let her thoughts wander free and observing the four people standing around the table she couldn't help to think how odd this all was; when she looked at Tamalt she could feel something – something nice that could potentially be anything that would make her life different. He was nice, yes, and she was attracted to him, but was that really enough? What about love? Could she love him or be in love with him?

Hearing Numair's words being repeated inside her mind she was reminded that she didn't have to choose today or tomorrow – she had time to make the right decision or time to make a mistak, but would the mistake cost her what she had with her teacher? Looking at Numair she felt other feelings, mixed feelings, feelings that frightened her to such an extent that she almost stood up, wanting to be somewhere else then here.

When she looked at him, studied him, she could feel the pleasant feeling of his presence as if he was sitting just beside her and not standing discussing the various ways to defend Alanna's home or attack those fief's that planned an invasion. Just by looking at him, seeing him, taking in his movements or the way he gazed at her was enough to calm every unsettled nerve inside her.

She was examining the feelings that followed when she looked at him and missed the question that was directed to her – it was only when she found that eight eyes had settled on her, that she realized she had missed a lot of their conversation "Sorry" she mumbled and remained sitting on the floor – she was slightly shaking now even though the warm from the fire had penetrated her thick clothes.

"I asked; when do we get any news?" Alanna smiled calmly as her gaze found Daine's tired one.

She pinched her nose until she saw that Numair's eyebrows rose high up to his hairline in amusement. Grimacing she removed her hand and placed it in her other, more shaking hand laying in her lap "A few days" she replied "they need time to get there and settle down, not to mention that they need time not too cause any suspicion".

"So when do you calculate that we know something for certain?" George asked as he rolled another map out on the table, picking up stones that was used to hold the corners down.

Daine shrugged "A day for them to arrive, two days for them to gather the information, one day to rest and then one day to fly back to me" she had lifted her hand up, counting with her fingers "and a half day for me to get the information down on papers" she counted her fingers, rechecking if she had the amount of days correct "five and a half" she replied and saw that both Numair, Alanna and George nodded – the only one who didn't do anything was Tamalt, he was wearing a puzzled frown.

She waiting for a comment from him and when it came she wasn't at all surprised over the question.

"Why so long? Can't you just reach to them with your magic and get the intelligence that much sooner?"

"I would if my magic wasn't restricted" she told him in a low voice. She was still looking at the people standing in front of her and she noticed that Numair was shifting his position uneasily.

"Restricted?" Tamalt asked frowning more deeply now "I thought that your magic was unlimited – such its name; wild magic. How can your magic be less-" he didn't get the chance to continue the question as she abruptly stood up from where she had been sitting.

"It can be so if the crazy bear have broken loose and as it did I can't be that 'wonderfully oh-so-gifted girl' you want to see or the girl with the 'most impossible magic that even shouldn't exist'" she suddenly hissed under her breath "I'm not that talented as you might imagine".

This was the difference between her teacher and Tamalt, she noticed inside herself. Numair would always understand her magic's limitations, but not Tamalt; he would never understand how her background had effected her gift or her for the matter. Numair knew and Tamalt didn't – that was the ultimate difference and she wasn't certain that she wanted him to know, anything. She was starring angrily into the uncertain eyes of Tamalt.

"Daine" Numair voice called softly and she forced herself to turn her head and meeting his eyes. There had been something in the way he had called for her that made her pulse slow down. "Not everyone knows what's it like to be you with your magic" he paused as his eyes captured hers knowingly "and this isn't the right place or time to bring forth the subject" he continued and moved his dark eyes to where Tamalt stood, giving him a more strangely look.

"I think we all need a break and I could do with something to eat" Numair patted the fabric of his black shirt where his stomach was.

George and Alanna had fallen completely silence under her exclamation and Alanna was looking at Daine with the most peculiar expression, as if she was adding more pieces of information to an unsolved puzzle.

It was George who broke the silence and placed the four stones he had held in his hands, one on each corner of the map "Well I agree with Numair on that point – we can't go on with this without any fuel in our stomachs" he was interrupted by a sneeze that came from near the fireplace and settling his green/brown eyes on Daine, who was wiping her nose, he continued "And your duckling" he looked sharply at Daine "may need yet another round of healing".

They had all noticed the reddish spots on Daine's cheeks – revealing that a fever was about to break. The four men was leaving the room when Alanna took a step forward, rubbing her hands together – smiling with the must awful smile she could possible muster.

Daine, on the other hand wrinkled her nose, backed away from the Lioness as she shook her head. She knew that she would be put into bed when Alanna was done and it didn't suited her, but she was stopped short in her process of fleeing when a series of sneezes hit her.


End file.
